Last Updated: 12th June ’25
I used to grind my teeth and finish movies, TV shows or books that didn’t quite catch my interest. As I have grown (and greyed), I have given up on spending too much time on things that I don’t connect with. I am not hasty to pack it up, I think I spend enough time on the subject in question. If you think I need to dig further and not be like the miner below, let me know.
Catch-22
This deserves to be numero uno on my list for one simple reason – I haven’t been able to complete this title as a book or as a movie. Will I be third time lucky as I embark on Hulu’s mini series with a glittering star cast including George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and more?
The biggest reason I couldn’t finish this is the large number of characters. With the book, each chapter focuses on a single character and the other characters come & go in their interactions. It takes a minute to remember. There are so many Colonels, airmen that you are struggling to remember beyond Yossarian (the lead) and Major Major Major Major (just because of his name). Hold on, I remember Milo now – the only person who seems cheerful and enjoying what he is doing in the entire ensemble. Likewise, with the movie, the scenes change as we move around the various characters. It is better than with the book as you have a visual reference and can make connections.
The story has its moments, you can feel the pain of Yossarian, the absurdity of how Major Major Major was promoted to Major, but there is not much to hold my attention 100%. I can’t imagine how Milo’s story will turn out and his syndicate. There is much to be said about the futility of war and the frustration of the main character comes through.
Chuck – The TV series
A geeky technician, Chuck, at a big box store accidentally downloads the entire CIA/NSA database into his head. The NSA & CIA send representatives to retrieve the information and tie up the loose end, but realize that armed with the data, Chuck can make connections better than the supercomputer to save the day. Each episode revolves around a mission that maybe involves terrorists or bomb plots that Chuck is able to thwart by looking at photos and figuring out stuff based on what was already loaded in his head.
Sounds interesting? Initially, yes, but it gets repetitive. Also, it makes no sense that Chuck has the answer to every possible threat, even if that is something new or unknown earlier. Is the Intersect (the database that got loaded into Chuck) getting a daily update? The whole romantic angle that gets introduced with Chuck & Sarah is stretched out. I started watching the series for Zachary Levi (Chuck) after seeing him in Shazam, but with the episode storylines quite similar, it was hard to continue watching. Out of the 5 seasons, I managed to watch just the first one.
In hindsight, the show came out in 2007, nearly 18 years earlier and many of the cool gadgets that would have made jaws drop at that time, aren’t quite interesting now. Still, I felt the plot to be weak to get me to continue and this is why Chuck is on my Did Not Finish list.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors had a lot of buzz online. Reviews claimed it was refreshing to see John Hamm’s acting. Other actors came on late night shows and spoke about this, so there I was watching episode 1.
Well, even if I don’t relate to the luxurious life of a multi-millionaire, I find it hard that the first thing someone would do after a divorce and having been fired from their job is steal from their neighbours. And what does John steal – a bunch of rolled up money and a watch. He might net some money, but given his lavish spending, it might not last beyond a day. All the risk, with no reward? Just doesn’t make sense. Also, seeing John Hamm flirt with the law is something I recall seeing in the movie Confess Fletch. Not a ground-breaking unique performance for this main character, I am afraid.
I am sure, there were bigger crimes committed later, but I didn’t stick around to watching beyond Episode 1.
